Court Shields Names of Group’s Donors

Forcing a Texas non-profit organization to disclose the names of its contributors would violate its freedom-of-association rights under the U.S. Constitution, the state’s Supreme Court has ruled unanimously.

It said making an organization reveal its members or donors could have a “chilling effect” on its contributors and activities. “For this reason, the First Amendment requires that a compelling state interest be shown before a court may order disclosure of membership in an organization engaged in the advocacy of particular beliefs,” the justices said.

The ruling grew out of a suit filed by several Corpus Christi residents against the city, a non-profit group called Bay Area Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, and the Greater Corpus Christi Business Alliance, a non-profit business-promotion group.

The residents alleged that government money had been used improperly by Bay Area Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse.

Bay Area Citizens argued that its contributors’ names were irrelevant to the litigation and are protected by the Constitution. It offered evidence that its supporters received boycott threats and that some contributors feared an adverse effect on their businesses if they were identified as supporters.